Court grants extension for Ulpana demolition

State had previously appealed for 90-day delay in evacuation of 30 homes in West Bank outpost, court grants 60 days.

Apartments in Ulpana oupost in danger of being evacuated .
(photo credit:Tovah Lazaroff)

The High Court of Justice on Sunday granted a state appeal to postpone the demolition of illegal structures in the West Bank, granting a 60-day extension. The State Attorney's Office had filed the appeal on Friday, asking for a three-month delay in the scheduled demolition of the Ulpana outpost.

The High Court had previously ordered the evacuation of the 30 homes in the West Bank outpost by May 1 because they were built on land classified as private Palestinian property.

Human rights organization Yesh Din, who helped the Palestinian claimants submit the petition against the outpost in 2008, has slammed the government for failing to raze the five stone apartment buildings in which 30 families live as it had promised.

In the past year, right-wing politicians and residents of Ulpana have lobbied the government to legalize the homes.

Under Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, the government initiated a policy to demolish unauthorized Jewish homes on private Palestinians property.

Ulpana residents have argued that the Beit El Yeshiva and Amana – the construction arm of the settlement movement – bought the land from Palestinian landowners. They received state-guaranteed mortgages and grants to buy it.

The government and the High Court do not recognize the legality of the sale.

In 2008, the Palestinian claimants petitioned the court against the outpost. In response, the state said it would raze the five stone apartment buildings in which 30 families live.